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Michael Bradley / AFP - Getty Images
Sam Bracanov talks to the press after appearing at the Auckland District Court where he entered a not guilty plea for allegedly preparing to commit an assault on Prince Charles and his wife Camila.
WELLINGTON - A New Zealand court ordered an anti-monarchist on Tuesday to stay away from Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla after he was charged with planning to throw horse manure at the visiting royal couple.
Sam Bracanov, a 76-year-old with a history of protest against the British royal family, pleaded not guilty to preparing to commit a crime, a day after he was arrested in Auckland. The royal couple had not yet arrived in New Zealand's largest city.
Bracanov was ordered to stay at least 550 yards away from the royal couple as part of his bail conditions. He was ordered to re-appear at the Auckland District Court later this month.
'I would have done it'
Sitting outside the courthouse, Bracanov said he would have thrown the manure at Charles, the longest serving heir to the British throne, and Camilla had he not been arrested.
Police say they caught an anti-royalist before he had the chance to throw a bucket of horse manure on Prince Charles and his wife Camilla during a royal visit to New Zealand. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
"I make it liquid - like porridge," he told reporters. "I would have done it."
Very public battle over private letters from Prince Charles to government agencies
Bracanov has used sweeter-smelling ways to express his anti-royalist feelings in the past. He was convicted and fined for spraying air fresheners at Prince Charles to "remove the stink of royalty" during a previous visit to Auckland in 1994.
Anti-royalists have heckled the royal couple during their six-day visit to New Zealand.
Royal couple has car trouble in Papua New Guinea
Others have been miffed by Prime Minister John Key's confirmation that New Zealand, a member of the British Commonwealth, would foot the bill for Camilla's travelling hairdresser.
But New Zealanders are generally staunch supporters of the monarchy.
A poll conducted by Television New Zealand before the royal couple arrived last week showed 70 percent of respondents want to keep Queen Elizabeth as head of state.
Prince Charles and Camilla have been touring Australia and New Zealand as part of the celebrations to mark Queen Elizabeth's 60 years on the throne.
Greg Bowker / Pool via AFP - Getty Images
Britain's Prince Charles (left) speaks with well-wishers during a street walk in Auckland's Queen St, Monday.
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Leave a Comment:
Could it be, Charles and Camilla may look better with manure as a beauty covering...
Yes, they would. And, by the way, which is easier when throwing manure - hitting the broad side of a barn or hitting Charles' ears?
Hilarious Geronimo! Give him another 20 years and it will be -hitting the broad side of an airplane hanger or .....
Send Kate for a tan and you won't have that problem.
AH HORSE SH&*T. The man has two feet and two shoes. THROW THE SHOES.
I guess this was taking freedom of expression a little too far. I do not understand why the UK continues to support the monarchy. They are nothing more than a drain on the budget that serves no useful purpose. The actual payments to the monarchy are in the tens of millions of pounds and when the total real costs are looked at (including things like security) it grows to well over one hundred million pounds. The monarchy is an anachronism in this day and age, but I guess most Brits (and most Kiwis as well according to the article) like all the pageantry associated with the monarchy.
Great job by the UK CIA. They actually foiled this guys plot to throw sh!t on the Prince. Wow... Wonder how long their surveillance of this guy was to figure this out....
They should receive the metal of honor.... Hmmmmmm...
It's not too hard to understand JS in SD. Think of most of our leadership in the US and the drain on our budget they cause...yet we keep putting them in office year after year. Understand now? :)
They do this because customers keep going... if there were no customers wanting to go on Thursday night, they wouldn't have sales...either way I am not leaving my house this year for the gifts I am giving. I am making a unique spice mix, jarring it, and then giving it with my favorite cookbook... the cookbook is a bit unpc, so I can't tell you the name of it here, but if you have a good sense of humor google "whipped and beaten culinary works" to find it.. but seriously.. if you get overly sensitive, it may not be for you.
Seems that to some viewing or reading about this man that his actions are one of those things to kind of chuckle about an older crank doing. Definitely he has every right under the sun to be anti-monarchist and to speak up about it, write about it or peacefully protest against a monarchy. As soon as hurling any sort of object at another one is in disagreement with it turns into assault which isn't comedic at all but rather does indeed become criminal. People throw tantrums about one thing or another all the time. It becomes altogether different when people begin throwing objects whatever they may be.
Sorry! I thought i was commenting on a different article.. sorry everyone!
If it hit that dork and his ol broad in the face it would be an improvement. I say give the ol dude a medal. At least a A for effort.
Why is this such a big deal? British aristocracy grows up around horses. Charles wakes up next to a horse head every day.
denver bill 2, i think i love you. i bet you always say what everybody else is thinking !!!!!
No wonder he's mad. It's a wonder more people don't get in on the act. The people on NZ have to pay for Camilla's hairdresser on this trip? What an insult. If the royals want to be royals, let them pay for the privilege themselves. I don't condone throwing anything at anyone but a great big protest would surely be in order.
JS in SD:
People in the UK support the monarchy for same reasons we support the wealthiest few here who are out to destroy the middle class. It's psychological indoctrination combined with the control of media that allows both of these anachronisms to exist with little thought or opposition to them.
Actually, the hardest part of this article to beleive is that she pays someone for that hair style of hers, AND the stylist travels with her. I swear, her looks like something from the 50' when women got their hair done once a week and wrapped it in toilet paper every night to preserve it, spraying it every day to make sure it stayed in place.
Well, live and learn.
Having a king and/or queen as well as princes and princesses of a country is kind of novel, but when you consider the expense the people of that country must pay for the novelty of it, then you have to wonder if maybe some of the middle class might get upset. Just the Queen of England alone gets paid 54 million (and now I can't remember if it is in dollars our pounds), if it is in pounds then it would be over 100 million dollars a year. That is just for her and not for the rest of the family. It also doesn't include housing, clothing, food vacations and all the rest. All that money comes from the people of the British Commonwealth so this family can play as royalty. I personally would never want to be born into royalty because you have no choice as to how to live your life. I also think if you want to keep your royalty and use them as some kind of symbol, they should get paid something for it. But not as much as they are getting - that's nuts!!!
Heard this a.m., when Charles ascends to be King of England, Camilla will not be called Queen, but Princess. I was looking if this was fact. No respect for either of them.
Thank you. I'm flattered.
I hope not. I'm not sure the world can stand that much craziness.
So they arrest this protester before he protests? So much for freedom of expression. The British monarchy is an anachronistic institution populated by buffoons in the UK. It needs to be dissolved.
Assault (with a stinky weapon) is not considered freedom of expression.
It is to me.
Dan, annon and Mymom - I assume you all realize our constitution does not apply in New Zealand or any country other than ours. What we define as freedom of expression is not in other countrues.
You need to keep your opinions to yourself. That's why you moved to America right, to get away from England. You therefore have no say in what England does so STFU.
True Holly,,but I'm also sure that even with our freedoms of expression, if I announced to anyone that I was going to throw Manure at Obama and his family when they came to town I would be sure to have a visit by the Secret Service and Homeland Security.
No matter what our freedoms are, we cannot assault someone, or even threaten to. And that's what that action would be, assault.
Throwing s#!t at someone or even threatening to is NOT a protest. It's an assault or a threat to assault which is illegal.
Ah, yes. Assault = threat, battery = attack. So we may call it different things, but we agree it's illegal and not an exercise of free speech. I think the royal family serve as public relations reps, emissaries, not unlike some of our ambassadors and state dept. employees. If they were truly drones, they wouldn't be showing up to lay wreaths and give speeches, yawn! And they might not be volunteering for the military either.
red sailor we believe in freedom of speech. don't like it then don't read the American News!!!!!
We don't support ancient stupid customs by making them welfare recipients for life. Their are lots of people in the uk that could use the money to just live and have a roof over there heads.
The part of this story that seems to be missing is how they knew he was planning to do it. It seems like he has a big mouth so perhaps he was bragging about it to someone?
I wasn't aware that planning to protest is a crime, but I find it funny that he pleaded not guilty and then blatantly said he would've done it when he got outside the courtroom.
Waynero - not a crime in the US but it might be in New Zealand. ANd even in the US if you plan it with another person it becomes conspiracy and could be a crime.
Wayne, planning to protest is NOT a crime. Planning to assault someone during that protest IS a crime Even in this country.
They must have seen his stockpile of roadside bombs along the route.
I'm going with Facebook...
LOL, why isn't this story under the "weird news" category??
So he was charged with "preparing to commit a crime." Basically he got busted for "conspiracy to throw @!$%#e." Well he has a story to tell not many could. YOU GO SAM!!
HILARIOUS!!!
He's my hero now.
Back in the day he would have been "hanged, drawn and quartered."
A punishment, by the way, that requires horses to accomplish.
Man, that $hit would've been hilarious....too bad it didn't happen.
Monarchy of any kind in a 21st century first-world country is a sign of social and intellectual mediocrity, of sheep-like conformism and fairy-tale fantasy geekishness. Brits and their commonwealthers have no business criticizing the shortcomings of Americans or their Old World neighbors, when they are still stuck in the expensive, traditionalist glam-cosseting of "royalty."
A pretty @!$%#ty thing to do.
This whole royalty thing is really quite silly. The charm has long ago lost its luster. Still, it's not worth going to jail or being fined for. These people (Charles and Camilla) are totally irrelevant in the modern world. Titles are meaningless. Let them do their charity work or get real jobs. The British people should not be coddling nor adoring their "nobles". Tradition is cute but inane.
Don't Blame him. He was only trying to return the manure to it's rightful place.
This is a serious problem - if he had thrown the material, how would they been able to identify the difference between the prince and the poop?
It seems their are disgruntled people all over and now I have a suggestion to the 30% in New Zealand and of course the idiots in the usa wanting to seceed and any other nitwits not happy with your goverment...I suggest world leaders get togther and set aside a country for them...assist them all to move in...but they must build it...WITH OF COURSE THEIR BIG FAT MOUTHS...and they can call it, " coutry of irritated people"
Paul, one of the Freedoms that my family has always supported is Freedom of Speech. So if I am disgusted by the heads of our government and what they do, that is MY RIGHT to do so. My family has fought in every war since the Revolution up to and including the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
I have NO intention of leaving my country. I have the right to disagree with the way it's run. I have the right to protest against it. I am not so ignorant that I will follow the current leadership blindly.
Right on paul! Find an island (a bloody big one it would have to be for all the jealous people out there) and send them all there. As a proud Englisman, "long live the Monarchy".
People like Paul are a wonderful sales pitch for the free abortions we now can get here in the US of A. "Long live dictator Obama!"
dinsmo, Great job!!!!!Everyone watch Obama 2016. Now there's a good movie. Should have been watched before everyone voted him back in????? As far as the the prince goes their doing just like the politicians do here. He is way to old to be in jail.. It's probably good he got caught before the fact..
I think there was voter fraud...people with a brain bigger than a pea would not have voted for socialism. The economy is not recovering....people are losing jobs all over the place. Now prayer is all we have to try to get thru this...
Just considering all the $h!t that's being thrown around at your military commanders and CIA top dogs not to mention your ridiculous GOP, I think you need to put your own house in order before you start slagging off the Royal Family.
The dumb antics of some radical Kiwi is hardly newsworthy.
It sounds like this guy is full of sh*t!
There once was a man named Sam
Who for royalty gave not a dam
Then along came a Brit
At whom he threw $hit
Now Sam is in quite a jam
The Kiwi's just didn't agree
With Sam's royal philosophy
The Queen's okay by us
What's all the fuss
Next time Sam plans to spray pee
@!$%# on @!$%#ass sounds good to me.
Cow poop would look on Prince Charles and Camila,cover up the wrinkled faces of a cheating.murderous husband and his mistress that destoryed pretty Princess Diana.I think it so funny old wrinkled face Camila never got to wear the Princess name,HA!HA! Hope they both have a string of bad luck and misfortune and bad health,KARMA get them.
Karma is for Real... And we see its magic happening...........
hahaha.. well the queen has many monarchies.. and since each monarchy PAYS for the travel of the royals, we should revisit in our fiscalities and deem their visits as entertainment for deduction purpose.. if the people are paying then the people should be netretained...entertained by throwing maneur on the royals? by all means, if they want free travels, and the people sees the royals as the circus is in town.. then we should put it to a vote... bow to the royals or throw @!$%# on them.. maybe the royals would travel on their own dime if they wished for respect..
I'm sure that some 70 year old Kiwi has been suffering at the hand of the Crown his entire life.
I heard manure is very good for the complexion. I don't think there is enough @!$%# in the world to do wonders on Camilla's horse face. I miss Diana
Camilla has a hairdresser?
To all you Americans who think that the Royal Family is an anachronism consider this, most Brits support the Monarchy believe me. I would rather have a head of state who is King or Queen as opposed to a politician. Tony Blair might not mean much to you but had we lived in a Republic he would have been our leader. I slimier person and more generally disliked than Obama or Romney (had he been elected).
And here I had heard that manure chucking was a traditional New Zealand form of greeting.
What an appalling thing for this man to have attempted!!! Why must people be so base in their protestations? I must admit that I am biased because I am an Anglophile. In fact, I just returned last night from the UK. I spent Veteran's Day in London and people who want to bash the Brits, I ask you to first go there and witness how they celebrate "Veteran's Day." We attended a parade that had approximately 3,000 participants!!! Everyone wore poppies (please google the significance of the poppy if you don't know). The vets on Sunday walked around town either in their uniforms or dressed in their Sunday best sporting their medals. Westiminister Abbey had thousands of crosses with poppies and names of the various individuals that fought in the various wars. It literally brought tears to my ears when I witnessed it. Upon hearing the bagpipes the tears flowed. For those who want to criticize my comments, there is nothing you can say that will diminish or tarnish the feeling I have for those in the UK that honor their veterans!!! By the way, I didn't notice one sale on washers and dryers or cars. God bless America!!!!!
please do not be upset. i have a sister in london and she works there. the comments here are funny and i feel like most of them. i do not like CHARLES ever since he treated diana the way he did. he does not have the ......to stand up to the queen and tell her he wanted Camilla in the 1st place. they just tortured diana emotionally ....and camilla does not deserve the RESPECT coz she has no self respect either....there is such a thing as DECENCY and PRUDENCE...esp if you are a royalty...
Absolutly agree with you, but I wouldn't worry about the mentally unstable here on the web, these manured social opportunists and mentally deranged! there are more of thes and violent criminals in America than any other place on earth! Surprise...surprise! Imagine, we want to be the leaders of trhe world with such anti-social behavior!
Not even our children can go to school and be safe in a learning environment...Surprised at these comments?
Sometimes I feel ashamed to be an American...
Is your name Michelle?
@BMCM9, I guess that The "Michelle" question was directed at me, right? Answer: I am a very proud American, but "SOMETIMES, ashamed to be one" BY ASSOCIATION ! Got it?